Madrid VegetarianRestaurant

Vegans and vegetarians on holiday in Madrid need not worry. Our Madrid vegetarian restaurant guide brings you a list of specialist restaurants catering for you wishes.

First of all though its important to know how to say you are a vegetarian:

Soy Vegetariano / a

This simple phrase will make life a hundred times easier as waiters will either identify Spanish vegetarian dishes or even bring you a seperate menu.

Typical Spanish Vegetarian dishes

For a vegetarian in Madrid, and Spain in general, you´ll be in heaven. Fresh vegetables and produce are bought to the city overnight and you certainly notice the taste and freshness of the product.

Spanish cooking is very simple and rather than disguise the taste of the ingredients Spanish chefs work to combine the naturally stong flavours instead of covering vegetables with sauces and mayonaise. Thats not to say that you can´t have the sauces you want on request!

Typical of Spanish vegetarian dishes are:

SaladsTheres no escaping the salads in Spain. From the most basic of a tomatoe and onion mix with a little oregano through to salads involving six or seven different lettuces as well as raw Spinach. Add a little olive oil and you´ll probably never realise how much fun salads can be!

Veduras a la Plancha (Grilled Vegetables)This is traditonal in almost all restaurants and is a variety of fresh vegetables seared on a grill so that the produce is crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Typically vegetables used include Asparagos, Aubergine, Carrot, Capsicum or Peppers and Tomatoe.

Meat substitutesExcept in the specialised Madrid vegetarian restaurants its hard to find meat substitutes such as soya, tofu or beans. Don´t be surprised to find that a Soya burger or Tofu salad simply brings blank looks from the English speaking waiters. Thats not top say its impossible to find just that it requires a lot of searching around.

Madrid vegetarian restaurant listings

This list of Madrids vegetarian restaurants is by no means exhaustive and we are always looking for more dinners, cafes and restaurants to include on the list. If you find somewhere not already listed please
let us know!

Isla del TesoroAddress: Calle Atocha, 12 & Calle Manuela Malasaña 3 Telephone: 91 369 7373 & 91 593 1440.Opening Times: 13:30 to 16:00 and again from 21:00 to 24:00. Specialities: Various "menu del dias", daily menus, and a series of speciality nights in one of the best value restaurants in Madrid. The combination of incredible decoration, excellent food with a creative, organic and delicious menu, good prices and a very careful attention to the diner mean this is a real #1 on the list!( Metro: Bilbao and Sol) Prices are very reasonable at around 10-15€ per person and online reservations can be made at: Isla del Tesoro

Vegetarian ArtAddress: Calle Fernán González, 77 Telephone: 91 409 77 22.Opening Times: 13:00 to 16:00 and again from 20:00 to 24:00. Closed Tuesdays. Specialities: Italian style vegetarian dishes incluiding Bolegnaise and Lasagne are served in a natural setting with plants and foliage. Located just outside the city center and next to the Eastern edge of Retiro park ( Metro: Ibiza) its ideal for both lunch and dinner. Prices are very reasonable at around 15€ per person.

Al NaturalAddress: Calle Zorrilla, 11 Telephone: 91 369 47 09.Opening Times: 13:00 to 16:00 and again from 21:00 to 24:00. Closed Sunday evenings. Specialities: Salads and cremes are some of the more rekowned of over sixty vegetarian dishes on the menu (theres also no vegetarian plates as well). The restaurant itself couldn´t be more centrally located just behind the Spanish goverment building in the city center(
Metro:
Banco de España). One would think that the central loocation would add to the price but you can happilly dine here for around 18€ per person.

La GaletteAddress: Bárbara de Braganza, 10 Telephone: 91 319 31 48.Opening Times: 14:00 to 16:00 and again from 21:00 to 24:00 everyday. Specialities: This is the most romantic of Madrid vegetarian restaurants where you can enjoy a candlelight dinner for two. The wide variety of traditional Spanish cooking allows for some non vegetarian dishes but the balance is around 80:20. Located next to Plaza Colon in the Serrano district (
Metro:
Colon) it is a great place to eat after having strolled Retiro park in the early evening. A little more pricey than most due to its intimate atmosphere order from the menu will set you back between 20 and 25€ per person.